connect the dots

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific…

   To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture.

   • To connect the dots, use a pen or pencil and draw a line from dot 1 to dot 2, from dot 2 to dot 3 and so on until all the dots are connected. You can try to guess what kind of animal is shown in the picture before you connect the dots.
2. 2

   To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of…

   To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation.

   • If only the Bush team connected the dots, it would see what a nutty war on terrorism it is fighting, explains Mr. Prestowitz.
   • “I started just connecting the dots between extreme weather and climate change, and then the volume of pushback started to increase quite dramatically,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.

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